Tambo

............................................................. Tambo

Will o' the Ember Apparel Visitors of the Ashfall Waste should never follow the dancing flames.(Flameforger's Festival Holiday Item 2015.) 0 Magmatic Pauldrons Apparel These pauldrons grow as more fuel is added to the furnace. (Flameforgers Festival 2014 Holiday Item.) 0 Ivory Scale Gorget Apparel A polished metal gorget. The surface reflects a buffed, brilliant sheen, so much so that enemies may get distracted by their own visage. 1350 Ivory Scale Cuirass Apparel A polished scale cuirass, newly forged and constructed with care. The runes for "M-B-M" are etched on the inside surface. The crafter's signature, perhaps? 1500 Ivory Scale Wingplates Apparel A polished set of scale wingplates, guarding the delicate forward edge of the wing. 1250 Brass Scale Greaves Apparel A set of scale greaves made of crisp leather. The buckles are brand new and the material is supple. 1100 Ivory Tail Tatters Apparel Though torn, this length of fabric is bright and flowing, acting almost as a small battle standard. 1000 .............................................................

Extrovert, friendly, filled with optimism, enjoys chatting and gossip. While being a capable smith in his own right, he loves showing visitors around the district and acting as a tour guide instead, or assisting other blacksmiths and district visitors with their own forge work as needed. He believes everyone has their own creative spark and ability to create things that are unique to them alone, and that that spark should be celebrated and nurtured. Is the only one who can calm down Sakiir and keep him in check. His actual occupation within the district is that of an extinguisher. Tambo's own fire magic is usually very weak - his flames are small and he can't normally reach high temperatures. However, he possesses the unusual magical ability to consume fire itself. He can suck in all of the flames in an area until they're put out, making him effective at stopping the spread of any fire that has escaped its boundaries. A side effect of this is that doing so also powers him up. While he would have stronger fire magic in such a condition, he rarely sees any reason to use it, so what people tend to see is that he becomes a bit more feisty. Sakiir will usually stick close to him during such times to prevent him from potentially doing anything foolish until he can cool off.

Tambo accompanies Phantom out on hunting and gathering expeditions for the clan. Rumour has it the pair of them gossip like crazy on these excursions, but no one has any proof.
No one even knows where that rumor came from either.
"Is that... it?" Faustino squinted at the map. It wasn't very large to begin with—it had been drawn by a much smaller dragon.

"Maybe if you took off your shades," puffed the Snapper accompanying him and his wife. Faust scowled, but did as advised, and he and his friend compared the drawing with the stone arch. It stood some distance ahead, on the edge of the cliff, nearly concealed by dark pines. Fittingly, it was called "the Lonely Gate".

There was a shout from Mara, who'd flown ahead. Faust picked up Aloysius and staggered up the cliff with him. As they neared the arch, they cried out in surprise—the view through the portal changed; instead of the cliff edge, they now saw a road winding between rolling dunes. And beyond...

Aloysius dropped from Faust's grasp. He shook himself irritably. "There's no need to lug me around like that, you know!"

"You're too slow," Faust growled. He watched Mara tentatively poke her trident through the arch. "Is it safe?"

"It should be. Takara said there are no rituals involved; we just have to go through. Shall we?"

"I can walk, thanks," Aloysius huffed to Faustino. The Imperial smirked back and went, "Hah."

And they stepped through.

They first noticed the heat: The coolness of the forest peeled away, replaced by searing sunlight. Faust squinted through his shades. He asked Mara, "Follow the road?"

She nodded. Aloysius was already trundling ahead, unconcerned by the oppressive heat. Faustino whined, "It is so... meandering. Can't we just fly?"

"Best to stay on the path, Faust. Takara said that travelers who stray frequently disappear. It's some sort of enchantment." Mara nodded to Aloysius, who had paused beside a stone and was examining it curiously.

"There's... an energy I can't quite grasp." Aloysius shivered noticeably, and for the Fire Ambassador, that was saying something. He looked somberly at his friends. "Let's just do as Takara advised."

The three of them slogged along the road. As Faust had complained, it was a very twisty path, looping in deep curves around towering dunes of sand. The stones they'd noticed appeared every few feet along both roadsides. Aloysius remarked how odd it was that, although the dunes threatened to spill onto the path, the sand always stopped shy of the stones. After that, Faustino stopped complaining.

Their destination hove into view about an hour later: a great city, its walls standing firm against the desert. The three Disillusionists joined the crowd waiting to pass through the gates. They were of mixed feelings about this. On one hand, waiting in line wasn't fun. But on the other hand, they were strangers here. Only a scribbled map and a merchant's advice had guided them, and this place was stranger than any they'd ever been in. The path itself had told them: You are only passing through. You survive only by the grace of the desert. But take care to stay within your boundaries, for beyond them you may find...

"Oy, welcome," said the gateway guard, a Ridgeback with black-mottled skin. "Never seen you before. First time visiting?"

Mara nodded. "Yes, ma'am. My clanmates and I hail from the Sunbeam Ruins. We're seeking new commercial connections."

The Ridgeback grimaced. "Ack, you're so fancy. Cool it, mum, I was just checking if you're new." She continued more formally, "Visitors must either leave the city or find shelter here before sunset. Please do not fly over the walls or tunnel underground. The desert is unsafe at night. The only safe route from here to... everywhere else... is the path on which you came."

"We know. It's a mess," Faustino grumbled. Mara and Aloysius frowned at him, but the guard laughed. "I'll say, but them's the breaks. Welcome to Byzmara, lady and gents—enjoy your stay!"

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"It's so... busy," Aloysius whispered, looking around wonderingly. After the silent desert, they drowned in the city's noise. They tried to ignore the cacophony of braying packbeasts, hawking vendors, and passersby discussing the weather, fashion, or those merchants who'd been eviscerated by vicious monsters three nights ago. Aloysius' eyes widened further. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that last bit."

"Where's Faust?" Mara grumbled. She and Aloysius spotted him at the edge of the crowd, observing a column of smoke rising above the roofs. They hurried over to him.

"Look. Forges." He spoke with a deceptively bland voice and gave Mara an equally mild look. Aloysius sniggered.

Mara's heart melted a bit. "It looks very promising. Shall we go?"

"Yes. Thank you, my dearest."

Aloysius exploded into laughter. He choked off, however, when Faustino picked him up again.

Soon they were standing before the Forges District. Where the entrance to Byzmara had been moderately chaotic, this place was all business. The thrum of tools and machinery rumbled through the soles of their feet, and they could see dragons bustling around fires of many colors. Sparks leaped into the air—above it all, streams of smoke joined into a single dark tower, marking the district better than any banner could've done.

"It looks exciting," Mara remarked. She wasn't speaking to anyone in particular, yet someone responded, "That it is!"

It was another Ridgeback, one with gray-striped skin and yellow wings. He'd been lounging idly near the entrance, but now he ambled over. "Sorry, I couldn't resist—not many newcomers are interested in forge work; don't get plenty saying it's exciting, either. 'Hot and stuffy', though..." He winked a cheerful orange eye.

Mara chuckled. "My husband and my friend would certainly agree. Do you work here, sir?"

"Yup. Name's Tambo—smith and extinguisher."

The Disillusionists introduced themselves. Faust ventured, "We're very interested in your creative processes. Could we take a look at your operations? We would not be in the way..."

"No problem, friend! Thanks for asking. Here, I haven't got anything lined up....Why don't I show you around?"

Faust's face lit up like a lantern. "Yes, please!"

Mara and Aloysius had traveled extensively before, but for Faust, who mostly stayed at home, it was a very exciting time. Tambo, meanwhile, was happy to have an enthusiastic audience, and he readily volunteered introductions and anecdotes even as he answered Faustino's questions about the Byzmaran forges.

A great fountain of sparks caught his attention. "Ah, Sakiir's starting his shift. Why don't we observe him for a bit? Don't get too close to him, though. He's kinda standoffish." As he led them over, Aloysius wondered aloud, "Why are the sparks blue?"

Sakiir was a massive Imperial, seemingly too big for the forge. He was glaring furiously at the fire, his orange eyes aglow. Tambo stopped the visitors just outside the entrance. "Par'n me, ma'am." He gently tipped down Mara's hat and motioned to Faust. "You oughta shield your eyes. And Aloysius, you're a Fire wyrm—you'll be fine."

"What has that got to do with OOHHHH!" Faust cried out in awe as Sakiir breathed a stream of flame. Bright blue flame. Tambo replied serenely, "To answer Master Aloysius' earlier question, that's because it's very, very hot."

"Stupendous!" Aloysius gasped, just as Sakiir turned to notice them. The Imperial's orange eyes now shone white—hotter even than the fire he'd just ignited—and he loosed an ominous growl. Tambo gently ushered them away. "Best leave him to it, friends."

"He seems nice," Faust commented with absolutely no sarcasm. Tambo grinned back. "He'll be stoked to hear it. Ain't every day a demon like him gets complimented."

Their tour culminated in a visit to Whitehearth. Unlike the rest of the soot-dusted district, Whitehearth gleamed in marble splendor, kept pristine by magic. "There are other enchantments about," Tambo added, "but they're kind of esot'ric, you know. Now, despite the district's name, we mostly sell stuff made of glass: lenses, sculptures, the odd weapon or two."

Aloysius perked up. "Would it be all right if I looked around?"

"Sure, go ahead. We'll be right behind you."

"He won't get far with those stubby legs, anyway," Faust muttered. Aloysius puffed a cloud of fire at him before trundling off.

Mara and Faust stood on a walkway overlooking the operations floor. Below, they saw workers bustling around channels and vats of red-hot liquid. Tambo explained, "Whitehearth answers only to Lady Scoria. She's our leader—great artisan, too. That's probably why the forge chose her."

Mara blinked at the gleaming walls. "You speak almost as if this place were alive, friend Tambo."

"Wouldn't be surprised if it were. Our fires, our forges, even our work... They've all got wills of their own. 'Specially the stuff made here—armor and weapons from Whitehearth will protect you, sure as the spirit of the desert were standing with you, not against you."

"I bet they're worth quite a bit," Mara noted shrewdly. Tambo laughed. "That they are, Missus Mara."

"Is Lady Scoria interested in business partnerships?" Faust's claws were twitching, obviously itching to wrap themselves around sweet, sweet cash. Tambo seemed slightly abashed. "She's... busy. Leadership and all that."

"Aye. Is that her over there?"

Tambo spun around. He hurried towards Aloysius, who was now conversing with a midnight-dark Ridgeback garbed in gold and black silks. The lady was answering his questions warmly, if a bit bemusedly, chatting about glassmaking and the pigments they used.

"Sorry, Lady Scoria, they're new," Tambo apologized. He bowed quickly to his leader as Faust scooped Aloysius away.

"It's fine, Tambo. There was no trouble at all." Now Scoria looked amused instead of bemused. She nodded to the visitors. "Greetings. Is it your first time in Byzmara?"

"Yes, Lady Scoria." The Disillusionists introduced themselves again. Mara added, "Tambo graciously agreed to show us around. The work you do here is incredible! Plenty of business opportunities..." She trailed off suggestively. She was just as greedy as her husband, though she hid it better.

Scoria seemed oblivious, though—or she recognized the bait and wasn't interested. She answered, "You're welcome to engage any of our workers. You'll find plenty of craftsdrakes to help you with your projects. If you'd rather do your own work, we have stations available for rent too."

"Yes," Mara answered with a smile, "Tambo said as much."

Another artisan approached Scoria. She excused herself, and Tambo murmured, "Lucky you got to chat with the Lady. She's usually busy elsewhere. Well, looks like things're picking up. Let's get going."

Aloysius needed to be dragged outside; he kept looking back at the workshop, where the workers were preparing for the creation of an enormous glass apparatus. By the time they reached the door, Scoria herself had taken over and was coaxing the liquid into a towering shape of dizzying loops and curls. As the door shut behind them, Aloysius gushed, "Absolutely magnificent."

It was Faust's turn to snigger. The Snapper scowled at him. "Look, it isn't like that...!"

"Thank you for such an informative tour, Master Tambo," Mara said, tuning out her companions' squabble. "We learned much from you today. This place is absolutely amazing!"

"Always a pleasure." Tambo included them all in this remark. "Great to have you over. Stop by anytime—I'll show you the Castle next."

As they parted ways, Aloysius mumbled, "We will come back, won't we?"

He was expecting Faust to tease him again, but the huge craftsdrake nodded eagerly. "I'll say. That road was absolutely annoying, but I think this place is worth it!"

"Right you are," Mara agreed with a winning smile. "Now, let's go, love—the Merchants' District is over there..."

The road here had hinted at much danger, but it looked as though all the scary stories had been overblown. The visitors had instead found a city filled with untapped opportunities and dragons as eager to celebrate art and business as they were.

Yes, Byzmara had made a great impression on these outsiders... But then, Byzmara was good at first impressions. Tambo watched them leave while chattering excitedly, and he hoped that, for these visitors at least, time wouldn't prove them wrong.

Not too much, anyway.

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